Nothing much impressive. Just want to share about my ninja lapped few weeks ago.














Using sandpaper grit -> 500>800>1000>1500>2000
Got around 10degrees drop.

Pictures taken using w810i

6600 to mirror perfection



thx neoxz

This post has been edited by neoxz: Nov 16 2007, 02:08 AM

Lapping Guide -By lolhalol

Ok here we go. Lapping, lapping, lapping, I know you would have heard about lapping from somewhere and wondered what it was. Well lapping is processes of sanding something to make it more flat. In our case, the bases of our heat sinks (or processors) to have improved contact with the processor or vice versa to further improve the thermal transfer between the heat sink and the processor or vice versa. The more contact both have, the better cooling is achieved. Nothing is flat, and lapping is one of the solutions we have to achieve better results. However, lapping doesn't fully make everything better. That's where thermal compounds come into play. They will fill in the microscopic valleys of the two metals. By lapping you are
reducing the size of the microscopic valleys thus making the thermal compound and metals work more efficiently. Lapping works and every heat sink you lap will give you experience to know just how flat those heat sinks really are.

Ok here is what you need:-
1) 800Grit Sandpaper, you can use any brand.
2) 1500Grit sandpaper, you can use any brand.
3) A piece of glass or mirror ( make sure its big enough for your sandpaper )
4) A rag/old cloth or a tack cloth
5) Arctic Silver 5
6) A glass of water
7) A roll of masking tape or any kind of tape
8) And obviously your heat sink or whatever you want to lap, in my case my Swiftech Storm G4 Rev.2.

This was the Storm before it was lapped.


As you can see it was already pretty flat to begin with, look at the TIM spread out so well. I know, many of you guys will be like, don't lap a Swiftech block, you will only, make it worse. Well to tell u the truth, when I got it, and after I lapped it, I had a 1 degree drop, so I don't really care what you say. Of course you might have a different result. Ok enough bickering, let's move on.

Step 1: Take your piece of glass and lay it on some old newspapers or a magazine so that its lifted off the table or your workbench, this is so that you can easily move the glass or flip it over later.


Step 2: Take the 800grit sandpaper and lay it out on the glass. Then tape it onto the glass using the roll of masking tape.


Step 3: Take your 1500grit sandpaper and lay it out onto the other side of the glass using the same way as step 2.


Step 4: Pour a small amount of water onto the 800grit sandpaper side of the glass.


Step 5: Disassemble your heat sink, all fans, led's, anything that can be removed please do so now. In my case, I remove four bolts to get the cooper base out.



Step 6: Put your heat sink into the water that's on your sandpaper.


Step 7: Grab hold of your heat sink/block and with even pressure, move it around in any way that is easier for you, figure 8, up-down, left-right, all is ok, and you can even mix the movement. You would know when to stop when you don't feel resistance (resistance from both directions left-right, up-down). Use your own judgment for this. The following picture is after 800grit.








This post has been edited by DaRkSyThE: Jan 28 2007, 03:32 PM

Step 8: Pour a small amount of water onto the 1500 grit side of the glass.


Step 9: Repeat steps 6 and 7. And the following picture is after 1500 grit.


Step 10: Now this step if you don't want to do you can skip, but this is for those who have extra Arctic Silver 5 lying around. Ok, first put a small blob of Arctic Silver 5 onto the centre of the base. If you haven't figured it out yet, we will be using Arctic Silver 5 as a rubbing/polishing compound. You won't get a mirror finish but this enables you to really fill out the micro gaps. Take your cloth and really rub the Arctic Silver 5 into the base, you will notice that the cloth "sucks" up the Arctic Silver 5, so try your best to rub as much of the Arctic Silver 5 on the cloth onto the base.



Here is the base after I "polished" with Arctic Silver 5.


Step 11: Now install everything you took out from your heat sink/water block, and install it back into your case. Apply your preferred TIM, like mine is Arctic Silver 5. (For users of Arctic Silver 5, look to the end of the guide for "Instructions for Arctic Silver 5" sourced from the manufacturer's website. You should see a 1~5 degree Celsius drop from your old temperatures. Oh and of course clean up after you're self, or else the missus or the girlfriend will be after you. (Highlight in red) You STILL HAVE TO APPLY TIM to your heat sink/water block.

Notes:

Having a mirror finish is not what we are after, look for "techpowerup lapping article" article at the end of the guide, but having a mirror finish sometimes comes naturally if you lap with 2000grit sandpaper, but I have had no real improvements by lapping with 2000grit.

If you touch the heat sink and it feels warm, you know that the heat sink is making a difference. The heat sink and the thermal pad/compound is absorbing the heat and dissipating it away. If I used a bigger heat sink the area of dissipated heat would become greater because you have a bigger surface area to move away heat. Lapping works, there is no reason why it wouldn't. Lapping is a bit tiring but is well worth the effort to get every last ounce of performance and cooling off your product.

Link to techpowerup lapping article, scroll down to the " Do i want a miror Finish" if you don't want to read the whole article.
Click Here
Attachment for the as5 installation.  Arctic_SIlve_Isntallation.pdf ( 109.65k ) Number of downloads: 9


Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any damages that resulted from following this guide directly or indirectly.

P/s sorry for the crappy photos, will post high res ones if requested.


thx lolhalol

This post has been edited by DaRkSyThE: Jan 28 2007, 03:45 PM

i cant find 2000grid sand papers at my place .
ive learned one thing from my own heatsink lappin , i didnt lap the surface evenly , so there is a sinking in the center where the CPU contacts with it , so my CPU will have a suction between the CPU and the sink .

This post has been edited by LWRNCH6550: Nov 5 2006, 06:10 PM

10 degrees ??
That's really a lot.

You should include some pics while you are lapping though, lol

Thanks IcEMoCHa. GREAT work there!

This post has been edited by neoxz: Nov 16 2007, 02:01 AM

bro.. lapping mean u use the sand paper. to sand until shine eyh???
why it increases the performance??

Bro can teach us how to properly lapped our HSF... if can lower by 10c is really good...my cooler isnt cooling my proc enuff maybe by lapping it can help alot since the surface aint that smooth....come come teach us

Actually it's bad like tat.

Lap to make the contact area as flat as possible, so there will be more contact area.

Lapping is actually easy, but it'll indeed take lots of patience and time.

very nice job..sure take alot of energy

care to teach me i need to cool my proc a lot before try OCing.my load temp on stok speed kinda high

Wow, smooth like a mirror. Maybe you can help us by doing some lapping services here

a step by step way to do it shud be nice and it shud be pinned!!!!

Ok.

I think there are some people in here who already do so.

Hahhaa. I'll be delighted to. but i do not have pictures step by step. Wont it be nice to have it step by step with pics?

nice....

i got the same result too when i lapped my XP-120 to copper base with mirror finish. 10C drop using same grit sandpaper as neoxz

and for those of you who wants to lap...just google up guides...there are tonnes of it out there.... thats exactly what i did when i wanted to lap my XP-120. i picked one and just stick with that guide

This post has been edited by mADmAN: Nov 5 2006, 08:04 PM

google now is a verb..

can i lap my stock lga775 hsink????
last time i checked,, the themal paste kinnda like rubber..
is that normal thermal paste??
i mean, the one i always see in lowyat.. the one in injection...
if i lap,, that mean i hav to buy new one rite.. ehmm..

very nice job lapping.. couldn't have been easy with that heavy and huge ass ninja

Definately u can lapped ur stok but the diff wont be as much since ninja is a high end HSF.for thermal paste get those Artic silver5 my fren will cost u a bit but its worth the buy

#do u really need the piece of glass any alternative...any g power pro user here how to disassemble the fan?

This post has been edited by styloe: Nov 5 2006, 08:40 PM

ehmm.. so,, thermal paste harden like rubber eyh???
thanks for the knowldege..

i hope anyone can enlight me.. how hard to lap the ninja??
why so hard??

one thing is because it darn heavy

Yup, true. I, myself used google for those guides, and simply pick 1 out.

the rubber kind are called thermal pad. works the same but not as effective.


Thanks. really tested my patience

Yes. you'll need a piece of glass to get a flat even surface.

Actual ninja isn't that heavy. It's only 660g+, i think. The hard part is to hold it firm. and the sharp fins will cut ur hand

then.. how bout the suggested thermal paste... can it easy to be cleaned??
coz.. i saw in THG videos.. the pstae cair... huuhh

i mean,, balut the sand paper.. and sand it to the max??

ehmm.. now i know...

Yeah. using alcohol. DONT just sand. U need to sand it with directions. I'll take some guide from a website and post it here, only if the mods allows it. Just hold ur horses

This post has been edited by neoxz: Nov 5 2006, 09:16 PM

my hsf is nickel coated.so if i try to lap it does it effect anything?is it bad to lapp it?

ooo, you'll lose the nickel coating. wat's beneath it?

Copper based nickel coated

ooo. i'm not sure if nickel are better at heat transfer. I think u should search about it 1st.

ok but dunno where to start maybe i'll ask around first...

you can lapped it to copper mirror finish.
Just like madman mentioned in the front page, the XP120 is also nikel coated copper base

owh i didnt know xp120 is nickel coated based maybe i'll try it but first have to find a glass for my project...anyone willing to gimme a hand ere

Ai bang, nak cabut kipas tu pun tak reti ke?

Senang je tu, kalau ada masa, datang la rumah aku, aku cabutkan...

okehh roger!!! ermmm lapping this gonna be a challenge for me as im not a very patient minded

how do you apply your thermal paste? do you use apply very thin coatly evenly? or do you just put a rice grain size dot on the middle of your cpu?

10c is a great result! congratz.

Wah~ dude...now pro ready in lapping. Really nice job there

Act, any1 can do lapping @ home; simple but takes lotsa effort. The process is called wet-sanding

1. Get urself the grit papers frm 400 (or 320) to 2000 & some dishwashing liquid. Dont b kedekut by getting China brands. Go for Japan ones

2. Start by using the lowest no of grit. Wet it thoroughly & make sure place it on a flat surface. U may get a pc of glass, acrylic etc.

3. Pour minute amount of the dishwashing liquid & spread evenly throughout the grit paper.

4. Now place the heatsink (HS) on it & move frm left 2 right (or any orientation u like) gently (let it's weight do the job) 10 times. Repeat Step 2. Then turn 90°

5. Repeat the steps till complete rotation (4 times total) for each grit size

Won't the sand papers slip off when lapping with the use of dishwashing liquid?

Dishwashing liquid is 2 be put on the grit surface; not beneath the paper

I see, thanks for clarifying. This applies to lapping a processor's IHS as well?

The wet paper 'll adhere nicely to the surface beneath so dont worry bout it slipping.

Yeah, can be applied to any materials.

i taped my sandpaper to the glass... and i also did it under some running water...but not much water la...just open the tap slightly to have water washing away the metal particles as i lapped. also the dishwashing liquid was used.

the glass i used was actually those glass sliding door thing from one of my old cabinets

Noob question here, why do we need to use a dishwashing liquid in lapping process?

dishwashing liquid works as a lubricant so that u can slide the heatsink over the sandpaper easier.

Hmm...

That's a good guide...

But, one question though, about my both of my XP120..
The base, it's rough, not really nice, both of 'em...

The base is copper, but nickel plated right?
Nickel is better heat absorber than copper isn't it?

So, if i lap the base to mirror shine, wouldn't that make the base to a less heat absorber?

Hey don't mad at me, i'm a newbie in lapping here...

This post has been edited by sHawTY: Nov 6 2006, 03:58 AM

nice job neoxz...... mind to tell me how to choose the sand paper.... ( dont know how to ask the seller for the sand paper, wat size, grade(?))....noob

i don understand why they used nikel coating. As the matter of fact, copper is the best in heat conducting. nickel has only better heat capacity than the copper yet its heat conductivity is far less than copper. for me i'll just lap of the nikel coating.

how bout RMA?if i lapped my g power will it void the warantty?if u said is true then i'll get my project started

Yes, i think it will void your warranty. Wrong methods of lapping will results in opposite effects.

ic ic so have to do slowly and carefully ermmm....minus 10c is temping

@shawty

ur gonna need some real patience to lap the nickle plate off all the way to the copper base.....i took quite a long time. but after i got the mirror shine on the copper base it was nice and smooth and gave me a 10C drop. so i think it would be worth it.

just need to have patience..once u have sanded the nickle plate totally off.. ur good to go

as for the base.... i guess its the machining process that made it rough. mine was the same too. but now not anymore

i wish u can help me with mine btw how long it took to finish lapping?1-2hrs?

I didnt check the time when i started anyways, updated the front page with a lapping guide taken from overclockersclub.com

thnx !!!do we really need the metal polish thingy?not use also can rite?

In terms of stability on air,
nickel would have a more stable condition compared to the copper
this layer of nickel actually helps prevent the copper from oxidation.

source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel

Nope. Dont need that.

Thanks for your input. I cannot reply all without ur help. BTW, lapping will make ur copper more prone to oxidation.

in simple term u have to relap it again in a few months laa....ic ic...

not really la.

As long as you doesn't expose the copper surface to the air often by removing the heatsink frequently.

lapping the nickle plating off took me VERY long... about 1-2 days. yes days. but that was mainly because i moved onto the next grit too soon... coz after that only i started seeing the copper base... and then only i decided to lap the nickle plate off to the copper base. if i knew earlier and if i stuck with a lower grit/ rougher sandpaper im sure it wouldnt have taken so long.

but after the nickle came off.... everything just took about 1 hour only to get the mirror finish copper base

I just bought a scnj-1000p ninja but the speedfan v4.31 shows that my idle temp is 48 C when i am playing game it up to 58C. But when using the measuring tools to measure it, the temp idle is 28C and when playing game is aournd 34C. So is it my mb sensor go crazy? Do i hv solution to c my exact temp other than using measuring tools?

though this practice is not recomended
cause
over-lapping your heat block will reduce the thickness and reduce the pressure applied to the clamp,
thus reducing touch area

yeah but still
oxidation still can happen but only at a slower rate


where did you measure
same like measuring your body heat
mouth temp is not the same as the skin temp is not the same with the butt temp is not the same with the liver temp
you knoe...

I put the it at the heatpipe of scnj-1000p ninja. Then the speedfan value shows is correct la?

most prolly
cause the heat pipes conducts temp from the hotter place to the cooler place
unless your measuring right on top the chip it self
you will get a lower temp due to temp radiating away from the core

you should put the thermal sensor at the processor itself ler..not the heatpipe. that would give a u a MUCH more accurate reading.

So it mean the speedfan v4.31 of mine shows an accuracy result lo? How to cool down my cpu temp somemore if so? I am using DFI 865 PE-AL scoket 478 wif scnj-1000p ninja for 2.8E. The ninja cooler should cool down somemore rite(below 40c when idle and full load around 50C)?Correct me if i am wrong

measure ur temp here.

wah..it mean i hv to remove my ninja cooler le...Got other better way? if so tat's my temp? wat is the way to cure it?

Ur tool doesnt have a probe?

Use Intel TAT, it's way more accurate as it reads the temp from the processor's core. Less the hassles of removing your heatsink while endangering your prolly from being barbecued.

He is using 2.8E cannot use TAT since TAT is designed for the Core 2 Duo only. U can try other software like Everest, MBM5, or even DFI own software ( If DFI had 1, i am not sure coz never use DFI b4..intel fan...)

Hmm...
My board is still under RMA...

Another two weeks, then my P5WD2-E Premium will be back in my hands...

As the motherboard is under the processor of RMA, i think i'll lap my XP120 to mirror shine, but the main part is, the removal of the nickel plating, it's gonna take a whole lot of effort to remove it...

After removing the nickel plating, then i have to lap the copper base to mirror shine...

Take a load of that...
I wonder how long will it take?

2 Hours?
3 Hours?

the removal of nickel plating is not as hard as you think

Dont use any metal polish coz it'll introduce other impurities onto the HS surface. Lapping & polishing is diff

you can start lapping today la. be prepared 1st,rather than waiting for your motherboard to come

by the his mobo arrived his hsf oredi oxidized

RMA that really freaking long WTF.

This post has been edited by styloe: Nov 7 2006, 04:04 PM

Give u guys some tips, use arctic cleaner

This post has been edited by neoxz: Nov 7 2006, 07:47 PM

Wan to ask wif 1000-p ninja for P4 2.8E the idle temp is 48C and full load is 57C...Is it normal? How to solve it if not normal...

seem normal for 2.8E aka PresHOT...

I can't find a 2000 grit sand paper...

Been through all over shah alam, still can't find one...

What i bought was 800, 1000, 1400, 1600...

I want a 2000 Grit sand paper!!!

This post has been edited by sHawTY: Nov 7 2006, 11:43 PM

SS2 bro...

hehe i'll see if i can find at my area bro.

sigh, my area here also quite hard to get 2000grid sand paper. your Gigabyte G-power pro also coated by a layer of nikel rite? planning to scrap it off?? i'll join u

SS2?

Subang Jaya or Petaling Jaya?

Tell me bro, tell me...
I need it!!!

I know where in Pg where u can get it ... lol

Nevermind, got the 2000Grit sand paper already...

And finished lapped my XP120 and my NB400CU [Northbridge Heatsink]

Will open a new topic later and post some pictures of the mirror shine base of both XP120 and NB400CU...

Hi sHawTY good luck

Last time i try to lap my Volcano 7+ , long ago but it still perform the same, well maybe i use the wrong method and dont have enough patient to lap it grid by grid

Ace Hardware also has wet&dry sandpaper, from 800 up to 2000, ranging from RM1.50 - RM3 per piece. I used that last time when I lapped my stock heatsink.

yep....thats where i got all my sandpaper from

Maybe u can help me later my fren ur mobo still MIA ka?

Not MIA lar...

RMA... [Rosak Mai Antar]